Smiffy's Magic Dice One Loaded One Normal

Product Information

Some divination can come into play with this method, with the various rolls representing real trials that you will face in accomplishing your goals. For that reason, be careful if you decide a successful roll is not “good enough”, and so roll again. It may be reasonable to set the bar high and keep working until you hit a lofty goal, or you may be setting yourself up for missed opportunities at success that will keep you grinding away longer than you need to or want to. The most common type of dice for gambling and boardgames are D6 dice with pips on the sides. The number of pips indicates the value of that side. Six-siders can be found in a delightful array of novelty forms, from dice the size of a pinhead, to cliché fuzzy dice to hang on your rear-view mirror. If what makes the die quirky or novelty holds symbolic or personal meaning for you, then that extra layer of meaning can be applied to magic.

Other dice that are available will have occult or cultural symbols on them. Some of the ones I found had runes, ogham, planetary symbols, astrological symbols, knotwork, or “spooky” drawings. And, of course there are the oddball dice that do not seem to fit in anywhere, that have seemingly random images inscribed on them once divorced from their source. I suspect most of those come from defunct games, promotions, novelty shops, or joke shops. Regardless of the specific images, if they have meaning to you, you can use them as a sympathetic link in magic, or find meaning in them when doing divination. Using Dice in a set of Bones Most tabletop RPG’s are based on a D20 for determining the outcome of any action or event. A high roll is generally good, with a natural 20 representing a critical hit or spectacular success. A low roll is generally bad, with a natural 1 representing a death blow or spectacular failure. “Natural” means the number that comes up on the die when you roll it, before any modifiers are applied. Dice trays are a phenomenon among those who use dice regularly, because they keep your dice from rolling right off the table (If I had a dollar for every time I had to chase down an errant die…). Basically, a dice tray is any tray that has steep sides at least 1” high. They are typically anywhere from 6” to 18” across. Fancy ones are often made out of leather, but they can be made out of anything. Even deep box lids will work.Magic works on symbology and intent. If a thing represents something to you, then you can use that symbolic representation to power your magical intent. For anyone who has played tabletop RPG’s, the symbology of rolling a D20 is practically etched in stone. In this method, when you are setting your intent and fully focused on success, deliberately set the die on your altar with a high number facing up. On a D20, I recommend either 19 or 20, depending upon whether you want to emphasize general success, or spectacular success. As I mentioned above, you can get dice with symbols other than numbers on them. Exactly how many sides the dice will have depends upon the system the symbols come from, and the whim of the maker. Looking for a thrilling RPG game that combines dice-based gameplay with epic fantasy adventure? Look no further than Dice & Spells, now available on Nintendo Switch™!

I am going to assume that not everyone reading this article is familiar with tabletop RPG’s (Role Playing Games), so if you are, please bear with me as I explain some basic concepts about dice in general, and how they are most often used in tabletop gaming. I lean heavily on RPG associations because those are my strongest associations with dice, and I am delighted to get to nerd out about RPG’s and how their systems can be applied to real magic. If you have other associations that inspire you to use your dice in different ways, go for it! Types of Dice You can add that D20 to your altar as an additional ingredient empowering your spell. I am going to describe two main ways to do that, but if you think of another use that makes sense to you, go for it! What matters most in your magic is that it makes sense for you, not someone else. Method 1 – Set the Die If your intent is on the more baneful or banishing end of the spectrum, it might make sense to want a low roll. But this approach does require a particular mindset. In RPG’s, someone always has to roll for the antagonist, but as a player, you usually want that antagonist to roll poorly. The more poorly they roll, the easier it is for the player to be successful against them. That means that there are times when you are hoping for the low roll, but those situations are usually antagonistic or confrontational in nature. The main way to refer to dice is by the number of sides it has. You can sometimes find the rare die with sides numbering 3, 16, 24, 30, 50, or even 100 (yes, I did at one point own a true 100-sided die, and no, it did not work very well), but most dice are going to be D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, or D20 (“D” for “dice” + the number of sides). That is because those are the sizes used most often for tabletop RPG’s, and gamers are the largest market for dice sets. In fact, when you are looking to buy dice, “dice set” by default means an RPG set with a range of dice sizes. If you want a dice set for a specific board game like Yahtzee, you must ask for the game or specific dice by name.Since collecting a set of bones for divination is highly personal, literally anything small and durable can end up in the set. It is not unreasonable to throw a particularly special die or two into the bag, if you are so inclined. Some pretty Roman dice. Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Astragalomancy – Divination with Dice I have mentioned before that just about anything can be used as a tool for divination, and dice are no exception. I must warn you that I am NOT an expert in astragalomancy, but I feel it is important to mention, and I do have some thoughts and suggestions for where to start if you are interested in pursuing this particular form of divination. If you are already familiar with a symbolic system that is available in dice form, that may be an excellent place to start. For example, if you are familiar with astrology, dice with astrological symbols may work very well for you. Same for runes, ogham, planetary symbols, or symbols associated with a gaming system.

If you find that your die is slightly weighted, I do not recommend using it for role playing (sometimes the missteps make for great storytelling). However, it may be perfect for use in spellcrafting, especially if you really like the aesthetic of the design. Just be sure to keep in mind what numbers it wants to fall on the most frequently. Dice Trays Since dice come in literally every color, and a wide variety of materials, it is possible to have magically charged or consecrated dice that are also sympathetic via color magic or material symbology. Weighted and Imperfect Dice If you use a 19, focus on how easy it is to set the die to a successful number. Your magic should follow that easy path and find its way to success. Build and upgrade available heroes, and lead them into battle against powerful enemies in a unique blend of dice-based combat and RPG elements. With endless value and strategic depth, this game will keep you engaged for hours on end.

Dice Trays

This is especially true when I run out of inspiration during long mixing or sound design sessions. You know the feeling. After staring at the screen for hours, who wants to operate a modulation effect with ten faders, fifteen knobs, three rows of buttons, eighteen different algorithms, a step sequencer, four LFOs with editable waveforms, twelve types of saturation, a side-chain input (because why not?), and a three-dimensional modulation matrix? Throwing bones is a specific kind of divination that is based on throwing found or created objects. These objects may be wildly disparate, and can seem random to an onlooker, but each has very specific meaning to the person using them. They are called “bones” because of historic associations, and because most people who use this form of divination will have at least a couple bits of bone or teeth in their divination bag (at least, that has been my experience). Hand-crafted dice can come in just about any material, and some of them are stunning works of art. The price you pay for them usually reflects the materials cost and time spent creating the dice, but it is an option if you want a unique set of dice, or dice made out of a specific material. Some hand-crafted dice are even made with occultists in mind, using runes, ogham, planetary symbols, knotwork, or other symbols or sigils on the sides instead of numbers. If you want something truly unique to suit your practice, it may even be possible to commission a dice artist for a set of dice to exactly your specifications. What that means is, that you can use the symbology of high rolls to empower spells in a positive or successful direction. It really does not matter what the spell or its intent is. If you are looking for success, a high roll on a D20 represents that success. A natural 20 represents spectacular success. If you are working a spell, it is likely that you want a successful outcome, otherwise you probably would not be bothering.

The objective of Premonitor Magic is to read the card indicated to you by the dice and see if it comes true.

If you are wanting to conduct baneful magic, you can use the same principle, drawing upon both baneful and blessing energies within the same spell. The target of the baneful magic gets a low roll, and your efforts get a high roll. Some dice will have symbols on them instead of numbers. Even if those symbols are not explicitly occult, they can often be repurposed for magic. Photo by Ugo Mendes Donelli on Unsplash Using Dice Without Numbers However, if you do roll a 20, especially in the first few rolls, I would take that as a very good sign indeed. If you want something to fail (voter suppression laws, for example), cursing it with a low number can accomplish good. Photo by Sidney Eileen. Rolling for Baneful Magic, Banishing, or Counterspells Professional gambling pipped dice can be found, but they are pricey. They are designed to exacting standards so the die will not be weighted, and has a completely even chance of landing on any side. Professional gambling dice are made to extremely exacting standards. Image by Jonathan Petersson from Pixabay Premonitor Magic is a game suitable for all ages. It is a fun and original way to find out what the day holds for you. The cards contain unique texts about what might happen on the day. For example, you could meet a lost friend, have a day full of energy, or receive some good news.